I’ve been working through the Old Tom Capital 2026 Golf Industry Outlook, and it’s one of the most data-rich reads available on where the golf economy is heading. For anyone thinking about South Africa — as a destination or a business opportunity — the signals are difficult to ignore.
An Unprecedented Moment for Golf Travel
U.S. on-course participation hit 29.1 million players in 2025, marking the eighth consecutive year of growth. Core golfers grew by 10 percent last year alone. Private club membership is up 50 percent since 2019, with 44 percent of members now aged between 18 and 49. This is a younger, more curious, more ambitious traveling golfer — and they want world-class courses alongside a transformative broader experience.
The 147,000 international visitors who booked golf-safari hybrid experiences in South Africa in 2023 are the early proof point. South Africa is built precisely for this traveler: golf, wildlife, wine, and culture interwoven into a single journey no other destination can replicate.
One of the more compelling observations in the report concerns how affluent Americans are restructuring their leisure time. Flexible working patterns, remote connectivity, and productivity gains driven by AI are collectively creating more discretionary time for high-income professionals. The practical result: longer trips, greater experiential spending, and a growing appetite for premium international travel.
Where the Market Is Going
The report identifies the traveling golfer as the highest-value customer in the entire golf ecosystem, spending across accommodation, food and beverage, instruction, and retail at multiples well above the local-play average. Grand View Research projects South Africa’s golf tourism market reaching $311 million by 2030, up from roughly $200 million in 2023, with international visitation as the fastest-growing segment.
Real challenges remain. Long-haul air connectivity between major U.S. cities and Cape Town or Johannesburg is less seamless than routing into traditional European golf markets. And there is still a meaningful awareness gap — many American golfers haven’t yet fully grasped the quality, accessibility, value, and sheer scale of what South Africa offers.
That gap is the opportunity. South Africa doesn’t need to position itself as an alternative to Scotland or Ireland. It offers something categorically different — and I’d argue far more immersive. The global golfer is evolving. Experiential luxury is outpacing material luxury. Travel demand is growing. South Africa is positioned at the intersection of all three forces.
If that’s a conversation worth having, let’s chat.
